James h



"tl TTE STATES Armar ormon- JOHN H. DU PONT AND THEODORE HYATT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 1,841, dated October 30, 1840.

To all 'whom t may concern Be it known that we, JOHN H. DU PONT and vTrrnoDoRn HYATT, of the city of New York, State of New York, dealers in shoes and boots, have invented an Improvement in the Manufacture of Gaiter-Boots; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof.

In making our elastic gaiter boots, we depart in nowise from the usual process of making gaiter boots, but in this, viz; In place of the lacing ordinarily used in the side of a gaiter, we substitute an elastic gore, made substantially as is hereinafter described-and in addition to this substitute for the lacing, we insert another similar elastic gore on the opposite side of the gaiter. Said gore we make of the following dimensions, viz., four inches long, three and a half inches 'wide at one end, and one inch wide at the other end; the widest end of the gore we call the top, because we always insert the broadest end in the upper part or mouth of the gaiter,'and for this obvious reason, viz, that when the foot is presented,

the mouth of the gaiter may expand sufliciently to admit it; which result could not possibly take place if the narrow end of the gore was uppermost.` `We vary both the angles and size of the gores as occasions demand.

We will now proceed to describe the gore and our method of making it, after which we will describe our method of fastening said gore into the boot. l/Ve make the elastic gore as follows: `We take a faced material, a lining, and strips of india rubber; for the faced material we always select if possible, a fabric precisely the same as that of which the gaiter is made; the lining may be of muslin or other suitable materia-l; the strips of india rubber we cut flat, square and in suitable lengths as is hereinafter described. Having cut the faced material and lining into the proper shape, we fasten each to the other by stitching run crosswise to its length, and in such manner as to form between each line of such stitching, a hollow passage or space wide enough to admit the introduction of the india rubber strips or springs. Into each hollow passage or space thus formed we introduce a brass tube, each tube containing within itself a strip or spring of india rubber, each strip or spring having one end projectinv beyond its tube about one quarter of an inc Upon said tubes we then gather or contract the faced material and lining by pushing them together with the ngers, until their width is reduced to about one half. This operation we call shirring. By then pressing upon the aforesaid projecting ends of the india-rubber springs, and withdrawing the tubes from the opposite side, said india rubber strips or springs are left in place with their ends projecting on each side of the shirred material about one quarter of an inch. `We then take four narrow strips of muslin previously coated over with india rubber composition. Upon one side of each of said strips we lay an additional body of india rubber paste, while the paste is yet sticky, we apply said strips to the aforesaid projecting ends of the india-rubber springs, one at each end of the shirring on the faced side, and one at each end of the shirring on the lining side. We then press these ends thus stuck together, until 'the mass is consolidated, after which, with a pair of shears, we trim off either side ofl the gore thus formed.

In constructing our elastic gaiter boo-t as aforesaid, we cut out a gore-shaped-piece from that part of the gaiter on one side, where the lacing usually is, and another like gore-shaped-piece from the side of the gaiter opposite to where the lacing usually is, with this variation, that, instead of cutting said gore-shaped-pieces in as oblique a direction as said lacing usually runs, we cut them from the gaiter in a direction as nearly perpendicular as the shape of the boot will admit. The edges of the vacancy thus left, we trim with braid, said vacancy being about one inch narrower at the top, one inch narrowerat the bottom, and one quarter of an inch shorter in length than the size of the gore to be inserted, in order that the rough sides and edges of the gore when in place may be concealed behindthe braided edges of the gaiter as aforesaid. In place of the gore shaped pieces removed as aforesaid, we

substitute elastic gores made substantially as above described, one gore on each side of the gaiter, each gore in such position as that when sewed in place as hereinafter described,

`its broadest edge shall be uppermost, and

shall form a segment of the rim or mouth of the gaiter. The braided edges of the gaiter are then neatly stitched on the outside, along the sides and bottoms of the shirred faced materials of the elastic gores, and the lining of the gaiter is then neatly stitched on the inside along the sides and bottoms of the shirred lining materials of said elastic gores and the binding around the rim, or mouth,

of the gaiter, on the front part `thereof and i such gaiter, the opposite part of theV gaiter being made precisely similar tc the side represented in the drawing.

In explanation of the mechanical process employed by us in making the elastic gore, we refer to the annexed drawings on Plate 2. Figure 1, shows a tube used to introduce the india rubber springs into the hollow passages or spaces, and also to facilitate the gathering or shirring of the faced material and lining upon such elastic springs. a shows the end of the tube pointed to penetrate the hollow passages or spaces between the stitching, the slit b b being formed to facilitate the entering of the india rubber strips into the tube, `and the letter C showing the end of the india rubber strip left projecting as aforesaid to be taken hold of when the tube is withdrawn from the opposite end.

Fig. 2 shows the faced piece and lining of the gore, stitched together, and twelve hollow tubes between the stitchings; the first three having india rubber springs therein. We think it important to mention here, that although the drawing represents but twelve tubes, the first three of them, only, containing elastic springs, yet in practice we insert a tube with the india rubber strip or spring therein, into each space between the stitching, and do not remove any of them until thev shirring is finished.

Fig. 3 shows the gore, completed on one side-the other side represents the ends of the india rubber strips orsprings ready to be secured by means of strips prepared with india rubber paste as above described.

We also describe another mechanical process of making said elastic gores, varying from the aforesaid, but substantially the same. Before cutting the springs of india rubber from the sheet, we out the sheet into the shape of the gore, and of the size required; we then take four strips of muslin prepared as above described, each strip being in width about one quarter of an inch, and as long as the side of the india rubber sheet to be operated on. Upon one side of each of said strips we then lay an additional body of india rubber paste as aforesaid. Upon each side of said sheet of india rubber we then laytwo of said strips while yet sticky, one at either end, and submit them to pressure until the whole is consolidated. From the sheet of india rubber thus prepared we cut our springs each spring by this process having its end so prepared as to be capable ofretaining stit-ching. Vile then insert these springs into the hollow spaces of the gore as aforesaid, and shir upon said springs in the manner above described; but, instead ofconsolidating the ends of said springs together as aforesaid, after they are shirred upon asaforesaid, we connect them together by ordinary binding; the gore thus made is then fit` for use, and may be inserted asaforesaid; or it may be inserted without previous binding-but the operation is more troublesome, and the gore is not so lasting. We likewise mention that cylindrical cords or springs of india rubber are preferable to the flat square above described. Moreover, the mechanical process of combining the above materials, may be varied from those described by us as aforesaid, and likewise the gaiter boot may be constructed with one elastic gore instead of two, and the position and angle of the elastic gore or gores may be varied in the gaiter of t-he boot, but we prefer the above described construction of elastic gaiter boots, as combining all the advantages, without any of the disadvantages that would follow from such variations as aforesaid.

iVhat we claim therefore and desire to secure byA Letters Patent, is not the Inechanical process by mea-ns of which, shirred faced materials and lining and india rubber springs are put together; nor do we claim the mechanical means by which said shirred faced materials, and lining and india rubber springs are held together; nor do we claim the said shirred faced materials and lining and india rubber springs, either separately or combined together so as to forln an elastic gore substantially `as aforesaid; nor do we claim said shirred faced materials and lining and india vrubber springs either separately or combined together with or without their edges so prepared, secured or consolidated as aforesaid, as we are taking the necessary steps to secure. this by a separate patent. Nor d0 We claim the in- In testimony whereof We have hereunto 10 vention of a gaiter boot constructed With an set our hands this nineteenth day of Ocela-stic gore; but tober in the year of our Lord one thousand le do claim as our inventioneight hundred and forty.

Gater boots made elastic substantially as JOHN H. DU PONT. aforesaid by being constructed with an T'HEODORE HYATT. elastic gore or gores made from the conibina- In presence oftion of shirred materials and india rubber JAMES H. KELLAN, springs substantially as is above described. JOHN P. SCHMOKE. 

